There was nothing I could do but to adhere to mama's unreasonable wishes, just to say that I have honored my father and mother, one of the things she and papa did not forget to remind us every day. The idea actually made me want to throw up. What am I, a drag queen? And would the god we were taught to worship want me to be the person mama was grooming me to become? Maybe she needed to review the Bible. Going against God’s handiwork will surely earn her negative points in heaven.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgC6xXyxDr
After checking on my sister-in-law, I joined the women in preparing food for my brothers, who were building Ben’s house. Mama was out because she had to go to school.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi31LmxIRWQ
There were still a few months to go before they complete the house. But my "delusion" of working with the "real" boys in the family must immediately come to an end. Mama made it clear that the next time she learned about me doing manly things, she would, you know, hit me with the infamous slipper.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToeh8LU3Tc
The women were already gathered in a makeshift hut to cook. At that time, some of Naya's relatives also joined in the making of that extensive project, most of them preparing food for the laborers.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGxZ7evece
And there I saw a familiar face—the bridesmaid at the wedding Joe was telling me about. Her dark hair gathered in a pigtail, her face flashed the sweetest smile to every person she met, and her bright, smooth fingers worked masterfully on the leafy greens.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCs3dxQdPI
My heart pounded wildly at the knowledge of her presence. Who would have thought I would see her at an event like this? Maybe mama's warnings were a blessing after all.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGQBKBAwU1
From time to time, my eyes would move toward the makeshift hut just to watch her, careful not to let mama's "eyes" see what I was doing. I wish this time the sun wouldn't set without me knowing her name, but timidity crept into my system faster than the speed of light, so I just gave in to the contentment of watching her from a distance.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAp3w6f6S7
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbsmFqmk3K
When I turned my head in that direction, it was not Joe who sat beside me but Ben, his crossed arms resting on his knees. He was looking at me with a knowing smile on his face.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviuRh5M9Dd
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7me2qSQuC
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYj9eW2SbM
"Me, tired? Nah, I'm strong as a bull," he said, flexing his lean bicep. "I just had a water break, but I'll be back in a few minutes."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpLUVFEC03
I nodded. "Nice."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9F4TVgHPH
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgbjFjJOXs
"What about you, Jude? Your eyes are beaming today. Saw a dude you like?" He joked, making me shoot him a wide-eyed glare. "Just kidding. You just look a bit different today, like your eyes are going somewhere."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUWC9pMcoL
Oh. Was I that obvious?399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkX1Oc3v5f
"Really?" I asked.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKIVVn59I2
"Yeah. You've been eyeing that girl from the first time she’s been here," his mouth pointed exactly to the girl I was looking at, and because I tensed at the truth of his words, one of my hands immediately covered his mouth.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcMDaUkVue
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0T6P5T76p
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79W4Lj2NlI
I suddenly felt the need to get a mirror. Then I turned my head to see if mama's minions of 'marites' were lurking around. Good thing the area was clear.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R4DLYy2ot
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQo5NjErX0x
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBoCcfbpbk
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGYPk4Qhbl
"She's pretty," he said casually. I wondered how his wife might react if she heard him compliment another woman like that. “But you seem to be prettier than her. People might mistake you as BFFs, you know?"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFvfoTArZ9
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeC6Hjia4M
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEiyL5IKm4
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6BLRKhOXd
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjVZNQ3KLG
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zYqKIj2fn
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22MOVT16EX
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxY9VZTMMd
"That's why God gave us the gift of curiosity. Now go, talk to her!" He gave my back a gentle push, but I stumbled on the ground like a sack of potatoes.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5STY2zLhK9
I pushed myself up and faced him.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILLYPWvx9J
"Don't do this to me, man, I can't talk to her on my own. Not when I look like this," my fingers went from the butterfly clip above my ear down to the oversized tee and short shorts that I was wearing.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGokSe9fIB
He cackled.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJF0lquFsh
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b0BjbpwBl
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XgR6WjIbm
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMX5ueZaWV
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrx9sVTLjir
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9we0dNBGzR
Something hard hit my head so I cried aloud in pain. I looked down and saw a coconut shell cut in half. Then I turned my head in the direction where it came from and saw Lev, holding the other half while smirking at me. Beside him were the other brothers: Dan, Simon, and Asher. What in the world is this, Davao Death Squad?399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLMNtYeV0u
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nWK30foJG
Even them?! Now things are getting more complicated. But the good thing about it was, I got the support of my brothers in this.
Thinking mama might get back from work and see me trying to court a girl, I pretended to half-run with my hands fluttering in the air and hips swaying toward the makeshift hut, pushing in the back of my mind how Lev and the gang would react upon seeing me.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44YV7GRfMY
I was panting heavily when I reached the hut. The young lady glanced at me curiously, and the sight of it added more strength to the pounding in my chest. She stopped paring the raw papayas.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsldgPC21ZP
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk3bvQe4ab
Much as I wanted to be offended at the way she addressed me, her soft, sweet voice melted away all the irritations that threatened to bubble up inside.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZbeI4Ga0q
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ813bjpPxit
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7DmLcWMGs
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniATD5WvlG
The girl approached me and her soft hand landed on my shoulder. If I shuddered under her touch, it's good she never paid attention.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcISi62O0aT
"What happened to you?" she asked.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2B5IxP0Cu
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDyRQ65YuP
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqdlxr98nm
"Come, sit down, I'll take care of it," she said and guided me on the wooden bench under the shade of the tree while her warm fingers tried to locate the painful part on my head.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiE2Jgz1hG
Taking advantage of the fact that the girl was not seeing my face, I looked at the spot where I left my brothers to see their reaction. True to their words, they really were watching, and they seemed to approve of it because I saw them cheering from where they were before going back to work.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjYZ22LhXE
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6hKXPrq4a
Lev must have hit me so hard. But with the girl’s warm body close to mine, I could tell it was all worth it.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqzGJph303
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEiFsNB6T7
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC9yAoSeoR
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRDqmnTKTa
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.399Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03TRJaoJfp
"Ester."
